Description
Creamy, smoky, and just-right spicy, this Spicy Chorizo Pumpkin Soup pairs silky pumpkin with crisp chorizo, chipotle, and warm spices. Weeknight-easy, freezer-friendly, and endlessly customizable.
Ingredients
CHORIZO & AROMATICS
- 12 oz fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil, as needed
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
SOUP BASE
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée (100% pumpkin)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream (DF: full-fat coconut milk)
- 1–2 chipotles in adobo, minced, plus 1–2 tsp adobo sauce (to taste)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4–1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1–2 tbsp fresh lime juice
GARNISH
- Reserved crispy chorizo, toasted pepitas, chopped cilantro or scallions, crumbled queso fresco or crema, lime wedges
Instructions
1. Brown chorizo over medium heat until crisp at edges, 6–8 minutes. Reserve half for garnish; leave the rest and drippings in the pot.
2. Add onion and celery; sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic 30 seconds.
3. Bloom cumin, smoked paprika, and coriander 30–45 seconds.
4. Stir in pumpkin purée and chipotles. Add stock and bay leaf; simmer gently 10–12 minutes.
5. Remove bay leaf. Stir in cream (or coconut milk); simmer 2–3 minutes. Add lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with crispy chorizo, pepitas, cilantro, and queso/crema. Serve with lime.
Notes
Make-ahead: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze 3 months (add dairy after reheating for best texture).
Heat control: Start with 1 chipotle + 1 tsp adobo; add more to taste. Balance spice with crema or extra lime.
DF/GF: Use coconut milk and vegetable stock; verify chorizo ingredients if gluten-sensitive.
Spanish chorizo option: Dice small, add 1–2 tsp olive oil to bloom spices; flavor is smokier and firmer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 970mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 55mg